Elvis to Eminem: quantifying the price of fame through early mortality of European and North American rock and pop stars

J Epidemiol Community Health
Oct 2007; 61(10): 896–901
doi:10.1136/jech.2007.059915

Mark A Bellis, Clare Lushey, Karen Hughes, Karen Tocque, John R Ashton
Centre for Public Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Castle House, North Street, Liverpool L3 2AY

Tom Hennell
Public Health Group, Government Office for the North West of England, Manchester, UK

Background

Rock and pop stars are frequently characterised as indulging in high‐risk behaviours, with high‐profile deaths amongst such musicians creating an impression of premature mortality. However, studies to date have not quantified differences between mortality experienced by such stars and general populations.

Objective

This study measures survival rates of famous musicians (n = 1064) from their point of fame and compares them to matched general populations in North America and Europe.

Design

We describe and utilise a novel actuarial survival methodology which allows quantification of excess post‐fame mortality in pop stars.

Participants

Individuals from North America and Europe performing on any album in the All‐Time Top 1000 albums from the music genres rock, punk, rap, R&B, electronica and new age.

Results

From 3 to 25 years post fame, both North American and European pop stars experience significantly higher mortality (more than 1.7 times) than demographically matched populations in the USA and UK, respectively. After 25 years of fame, relative mortality in European (but not North American) pop stars begins to return to population levels. Five‐year post‐fame survival rates suggest differential mortality between stars and general populations was greater in those reaching fame before 1980.

Conclusion

Pop stars can suffer high levels of stress in environments where alcohol and drugs are widely available, leading to health‐damaging risk behaviour. However, their behaviour can also influence would‐be stars and devoted fans. Collaborations between health and music industries should focus on improving both pop star health and their image as role models to wider populations.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2652970/

Tongue-Print: A Novel Biometrics Pattern

Lecture Notes in Computer Science
Vol. 4642, 2007, pp 1174-1183
DOI 10.1007/978-3-540-74549-5_122
Advances in Biometrics
International Conference, ICB 2007, Seoul, Korea, August 27-29, 2007, Proceedings
Lee, Seong-Whan, Li, Stan Z. (Eds.)

David Zhang (1), Zhi Liu (2), Jing-qi Yan (2), Peng-fei Shi (2)

1. Biometrics Research Centre, Department of Computing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
2. Institute of Image Processing and Pattern Recognition, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China

Abstract

The tongue is a unique organ in that it can be stuck out of mouth for inspection, and yet it is otherwise well protected in the mouth and is difficult to forge. The tongue also presents both geometric shape information and physiological texture information which are potentially useful in identity verification applications. Furthermore, the act of physically reaching or thrusting out is a convincing proof for the liveness. Despite these obvious advantages for biometrics, little work has hitherto been done on this topic. In this paper, we introduce this novel biometric and present a verification framework based on the tongue-prints. The preliminary experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the tongue biometrics.

http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-540-74549-5_122

Penises as Variable-Volume Hydrostatic Skeletons

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
Volume 1101, pages 453–463, April 2007
DOI: 10.1196/annals.1389.014

Diane A. Kelly

Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003

Abstract:

Penises are inflatable intromittent organs that transfer sperm to a female during copulation. Most of the time, males store their penises in a flexible detumesced state, but they can rapidly inflate them with blood when an opportunity for reproductive behavior arises. In mammals, the primary erectile tissue is called the corpus cavernosum; its anatomy is a close match to a model hydroskeleton reinforced by an axial orthogonal fiber array. The wall of the corpus cavernosum contains layers of highly organized collagen fibers arranged at 0° and 90° to the penile long axis. Flaccid wall tissue is folded. Collagen fiber straightening during erection expands the tunica albuginea and increases both its stiffness and its second moment of area. These changes make the entire penis larger and harder to bend. Axial orthogonal fiber reinforcement affects the mechanical behavior of the erect corpus cavernosum, making it resistant to tensile, compressive, and bending forces.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1196/annals.1389.014/abstract

Sword swallowing and its side effects

BMJ 2006;333:1285
Published 21 December 2006
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39027.676690.55

Brian Witcombe, consultant radiologist [1], Dan Meyer, executive director [2]

[1] Department of Radiology, Gloucestershire Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester GL1 3NN
[2] Sword Swallowers' Association International, 3729 Belle Oaks Drive, Antioch, Tennessee 37013, USA

Objective

To evaluate information on the practice and associated ill effects of sword swallowing.

Design

Letters sent to sword swallowers requesting information on technique and complications.

Setting

Membership lists of the Sword Swallowers' Association International.

Participants

110 sword swallowers from 16 countries.

Results

We had information from 46 sword swallowers. Major complications are more likely when the swallower is distracted or swallows multiple or unusual swords or when previous injury is present. Perforations mainly involve the oesophagus and usually have a good prognosis. Sore throats are common, particularly while the skill is being learnt or when performances are too frequent. Major gastrointestinal bleeding sometimes occurs, and occasional chest pains tend to be treated without medical advice. Sword swallowers without healthcare coverage expose themselves to financial as well as physical risk.

Conclusions

Sword swallowers run a higher risk of injury when they are distracted or adding embellishments to their performance, but injured performers have a better prognosis than patients who suffer iatrogenic perforation.

http://www.bmj.com/content/333/7582/1285